Pelargonium plant named ‘Pacchoap’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named ‘Pacchoap’, characterized by its upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; and light red-colored semi-double flowers that are held above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium x hortorum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PACCHOAP’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of ZonalGeranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium x hortorum, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pacchoap’.

The new Zonal Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of thebreeding program is to develop new uniform Zonal Geranium plants withdark green-colored leaves and numerous attractive flowers.

The new Zonal Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor of two unidentified proprietary selections of Pelargoniumgrandiflorum, not patented, during the summer of 2013. Seed wascollected from a number of potential parent plants, combined and sown.The new Zonal Geranium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventoras a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated masscross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany during the spring of 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Zonal Geranium plant by vegetativeterminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden,Germany since January, 2015 has shown that the unique features of thisnew Zonal Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not been observed under allpossible combinations of environmental conditions and culturalpractices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironmental conditions such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Pacchoap’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Pacchoap’ as a new and distinct Zonal Geraniumplant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely basal branching habit.    -   4. Dark green-colored leaves with a large zonal pattern.    -   5. Early and freely flowering habit.    -   6. Light red-colored semi-double flowers that are held above the        foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Plants of the new Zonal Geranium can be compared to plants of thePelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacchogi’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.29,688. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Zonal Geraniumdiffer from plants of ‘Pacchogi’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium are larger than plants of        ‘Pacchogi’.    -   2. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have smaller leaves than        plants of ‘Pacchogi’.    -   3. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium are more freely flowering        than plants of ‘Pacchogi’.    -   4. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have semi-double flowers        whereas plants of ‘Pacchogi’ have single-type flowers.    -   5. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have larger flowers than        plants of ‘Pacchogi’.    -   6. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium and ‘Pacchogi’ differ in        flower color as plants of ‘Pacchogi’ have cherry red-colored        flowers.    -   7. Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have shorter peduncles than        plants of ‘Pacchogi’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Zonal Geranium plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Zonal Geranium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical floweringplant of ‘Pacchoap’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in 19-cm containers during the winter,spring and summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany andunder cultural practices typical of commercial Zonal Geraniumproduction. During the production of the plants, day temperaturesaveraged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levelsranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were four months old whenthe photograph was taken and eight months old when the detaileddescription was taken. In the detailed description, color references aremade to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacchoap’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection            of Pelargonium x hortorum, not patented.        -   Male or pollen parent.—Unidentified proprietary selection of            Pelargonium x hortorum, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at            temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at temperatures about 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,            actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate            composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate            temperature and age of roots.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly rounded plant            habit; inverted triangle; densely foliated; vigorous growth            habit; moderate growth rate; freely basal branching habit            with numerous lateral branches developing per plant;            pinching is not required.        -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 40 cm.        -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 32 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm.            Internode length: About 2.5 cm. Texture: Moderately            pubescent. Color: Close to 146B.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite and alternate; simple.        -   Length.—About 5.3 cm.        -   Width.—About 8.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Rounded; roughly reniform.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Cordate, open.        -   Margin.—Crenate.        -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Moderately pubescent; felt-like.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescence along the veins.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,            close to 143C. Zonation pattern: Intensity: Strong. Distance            from leaf margin: About 3 mm. Width: About 5 cm. Color:            Close to 200A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 138A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Semi-double flowers            arranged in roughly hemispherical umbels arising from apical            leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar plane on            strong peduncles; flowers face upright to outwardly; freely            flowering habit with about 31 flower buds and flowers per            umbel.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants begin            flowering about 70 days after planting; in the garden in            Germany, flowering begins in April and continues until frost            in the autumn.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about six to ten days on the            plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant;            flowers persistent.        -   Umbel height.—About 6 cm.        -   Umbel diameter.—About 10 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 4.5 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—About 2 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Elliptical. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About six; petals imbricate.            Length: About 2.4 cm. Width: About 2.6 cm. Shape: Roughly            fan-shaped. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;            velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 40C; at the base, close to 155D; venation,            close to 40C; color does not change with development. When            opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close to 41D; at            the base, close to 155D; venation, close to 41D; color does            not change with development.        -   Petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About one to two arranged at            the center of the flower. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About            5 mm. Shape: Irregularly shaped. Apex: Acute to rounded.            Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth to crinkled, glabrous. Color: When opening            and fully opened, upper surface: Close to 40C; at the base,            close to 155D; venation, close to 40C; color does not change            with development. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to 41D; at the base, close to 155D; venation,            close to 41D; color does not change with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five or six arranged in a            single whorl. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:            Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 144A.        -   Peduncles (umbel stems).—Length: About 12 cm. Diameter:            About 3 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Mostly upright.            Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Pedicels (individual flower stems).—Length: About 2.5 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible.            Texture: Moderately pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:            About twelve. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape:            Tubular. Anther color: Close to 54A. Pollen amount:            Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 168A. Gynoecium: Pistil            quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma            shape: Five-parted. Stigma color: Close to 50A. Style            length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 50A. Ovary color:            Close to 148C. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development            have not been observed on plants of the new Zonal Geranium.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have not    been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Zonal    Geraniums.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Zonal Geranium have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to about    35° C. to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Zonal Geranium plant named‘Pacchoap’ as illustrated and described.